Life through a lens

Zhou Jie takes a series of the 12 photos showing different views of the Chinese landscape in 12 lunar months. This is one of them.

Zhou loves the peaceful life and has no interest in entertainment popular with young people such as shopping, KTV, frequenting bars or the cinema. In her limited spare time, she is either on a trip or at home - making plans for the next trip. "I am an introvert and look like a delicate woman, but some friends call me ‘Nvhanzi' (a tough girl)," she says.

She once hiked 35 kilometers in Kanas in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, quenching her thirst at a mountain spring. In early 2011, she trekked for 15 km in thick snow to photograph China's biggest snow town, Changting in Hailin city, Heilongjiang province.

Her camera has captured all the provinces of China except for Guangdong and Qinghai.

"Today, many young people admire everything from the West. It is a pity that they miss the beauty in our own culture. I hope they can see and feel the beauty through my photos," she says.